Weight loss has become one of the most common goals of humans. Everybody wants to stay fit. Therefore, they opt for unique and different dietary patterns which can help them to lose weight despite their sedentary lifestyle. The ketogenic diet is one such common dietary form that is being readily adopted by people these days.
It is basically a low-carb diet. This is a challenging form of dieting because a person has to give up the carbohydrates that are a primary source of energy for the human body. However, the amount of carbs that could be consumed on a keto diet always remains an important concern for most of the people who switch to this form.
What Is A Keto Diet?
Before enumerating the minimum number of carbs to be consumed, it is essential to understand the science behind the keto diet. According to this diet, humans have to change their source of energy from carbohydrates to fats. While the consumption of carbohydrates is reduced, simultaneously, the consumption of the fats must be increased.
These fats are then rigorously burnt inside the human body to release energy. This energy instead of being converted to glucose, takes the form of ketones. Ketones and fat become the primary source of the body. When the reliance of these two sources increase to generate energy, the body naturally enters a state of nutritional ketosis.
What is the minimum amount of carbs allowed in keto diet?
The amount of carbs has to be terribly cut down in order to ensure that your keto diet is effective. However, this requirement may vary according to the gender, age, lifestyle and metabolism of the individual. Some people might end up shedding kilograms despite a higher carb consumption as compared to other people who may not eat any carbs at all and may not lose weight during ketosis.
According to the guidelines, a person shall consume not more than 5-10% of the total calories as carbs in a day. This basically amounts to consuming 20-25g in a day. However, the requirement of carbs can be increased if the person exercises atleast for 4 to 5 days in a week.
In such a situation, regular exercise helps to regulate the weight in addition to ketosis. A person can easily consume upto 50 grams of carbs and still achieve the state of ketosis.
On the other hand, if a person pursues a sedentary lifestyle, then, in such a situation, the carb intake shall be extremely low for losing weight. In addition, the carbs intake also varies between men and women.
While the former may be allowed to relish a higher carb intake, the former has to strictly cut down on carbs. The carb intake must be strictly checked everyday as even a single cheat meal can withdraw the body from the state of ketosis.
List of carbs that can be a part of Keto diet
It is difficult to sustain on 20 grams of carbohydrates. Therefore, it is always advisable to consume heavy meals which do not let you starve. There are certain keto-friendly carb-sources that can be easily incorporated into your diet plan.
These include dark chocolates, low-carb vegetables such as cauliflower, kale, spinach, zucchini and brussels’s sprouts, fruits like berries, avocados, berries and olives. These food items help to control the appetite of the individual and hence help him to successfully undertake the keto diet.
Conclusion
With all of this information, it would be interesting to understand that these guidelines must be remembered by a person when he decides to go on a keto diet. This may be tough to begin with but it has got its own advantages in the long run.
